


Picking Up Again

by tarnishedpeonies



Series: Bumblebee Week [6]
Category: Transformers (Bumblebee Movie), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Epic Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:34:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29277039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tarnishedpeonies/pseuds/tarnishedpeonies
Summary: Scouting means more than looking ahead. Sometimes you have to look behind, too.
Series: Bumblebee Week [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2139120
Kudos: 13





	Picking Up Again

Backing into a parking space facing the body shop, Bumblebee turned off his engine and stared at the front sign. Watson Custom Craft. A part of him felt like Charlie’s Custom Craft would have been more musical, but Bee hadn’t forgotten how much Charlie’s father meant to her. It was a memorial, much the same way the Autobots memorialized their own fallen, now that there was peace for Cybertronians on Earth.

There was no way she’d remember a junker like him. It’d been years. Charlie had declined to come with him, for the sake of her family. Now he was here. She was in there, working on another beat-up car, restoring it, making it better. That’s what she did. He’d seen some of her work, and it was _good_.

“I haven’t seen a yellow seventy-seven Camaro in awhile,” a voice behind him stated. “You let yourself drive around with scuff marks like that?” _Charlie!_ He almost transformed in a happy startle, but waited until he felt her pat his roof. “Follow me. I have a bay where you can transform.” She did too, a bay away from the rest that wasn’t open to them. A paint bay based on the fumes coming into his intake. Bumblebee heard the garage door close behind him, and stretched as he transformed, turning to look at his old friend. It had been too long since he’d laid optics on her!

Charlie sat on a drum across from him, grinning as she opened a paper bag and started pulling out food. “I was just at lunch, but I have _all day_ for an old friend,” she promised. Bumblebee could tell she looked different now. Stronger. Confident. Courageous, even, considering how much work it took to start up and run your own body shop! “How are you?”

Bumblebee paused. “I’m doing well.”

The hamburger in Charlie’s hands fell as she stared at him, mouth agape. “ _Bee! _They fixed your voice?” She hopped off the drum, almost running over the burger as she collided with him, hugging him tight around the waist. “Oh my gosh why didn’t you _say_ something?!”__

__His arms folded back around her reflexively, and even though she was barely at his chest plate it felt warm. Good. Charlie was always a good friend. “I did! I said something just now!” He heard her laugh, along with a stress in her voice that betrayed another emotion as she looked up, wiping at her eyes. “I didn’t want to be away so long, Charlie, but - you’ve seen the news.”_ _

__“Yeah, you and the other Autobots have been busy,” she agreed, grinning broadly. “So what are you doing here visiting little old me then?” She was little standing next to him! Hardly old, or as the phrase actually implied, any less important._ _

__“I needed to see a friend, who knew me when I was broken, to see if I’m,” he paused and struggled, moving to sit down in front of Charlie so they could see eye to optic. “Optimus Prime is,” he stopped again. “This is just between us,” he stated. “But Optimus is considering stepping down and passing on the mantle of leadership. He’s told me I’m one of the bots he’s considering, and I know - I know the conventional wisdom is _never look back_.” He shook his helmet. “But if we never look back, we’ll miss so much. I just wanted to see you, and see what you think about it. The whole thing. About me.”_ _

__Shaking herself free of the shock, Charlie went back and threw the ground-burger in the trash, picking up the bag to sit across from him and pulling another out. “That’s a hard thing, Bee. I mean, I only have a team of employees that I have to manage every day, I can’t imagine a whole faction of Cybertronians,” she pursed her lips, then took a bite of the new burger, thinking it over._ _

__“I can tell you the Autobots need you, no matter what Optimus decides. I don’t even have to be there to know how invaluable you’ve been. And more importantly? You know Earth better than any of them. You’ve been here longer, done the most research, made the most friends. Do I think you can lead the Autobots?”_ _

__Bumblebee felt his gears tense._ _

__“Yes. I do. I also know you’re capable of more than leadership. So if you get it? You can do it, and if you don’t? You get to visit me more often, right?” She winked, and Bumblebee laughed, earning a wider grin from Charlie. “If not, though…you’re not the only one with wheels. I’ll come out to Autobot City,” she promised. A weight lifted from Bee’s spark, and he nodded. _Thank you._ Charlie winked. She’d always been able to read him._ _


End file.
